History of the Church

Early Gothic origins: The current Baroque church stands on a site occupied by a Gothic church built by Augustinian canons in the early 1400s

The foundation stone of the Jesuit college was laid. The construction was overseen by Jesuit brother Martin Vallorso from Italy.

The Austrian Jesuit provincial Alphons Carillo consecrated the college and the old Gothic Church of St. James. The Jesuits moved into the partially completed college. By 1617, when construction was completed, the college became the first building in Ljubljana to reflect the ideals of Italian architecture with modern arcaded courtyards.

Archduke Ferdinand issued the formal founding charter of the Jesuit college in Ljubljana.

The foundation stone for the new church was laid.

The newly built church was solemnly consecrated in the presence of numerous guests. Archduke Ferdinand and Archduke Maximilian were represented by Abbot Georg Reinprecht of Viktring and Baron Marquard von Egg.

Bishop Thomas Chrön of Ljubljana consecrated three altars in the side chapels on the north side of the church. On 3 June, he consecrated three more altars on the south side. At this time, the two side chapels dedicated to the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows had not yet been built; side entrances to the church stood in those locations.

Due to the growing number of students and teachers, teaching was moved to a new school building, and the Jesuit monastery expanded into the former classrooms.
By the mid-17th century, around 700 pupils were being educated at the Jesuit college, and by the early 18th century, the number exceeded 900.
The educational work of the Ljubljana Jesuits marked the beginning of higher education in the city, as their curriculum included university-level lectures from 1619 onwards.

With support from the Carniolan Estates, the magnificent octagonal Chapel of St. Francis Xavier was added. Veneration of the saint increased after a miracle was recorded in 1658, and his popularity was further spread by devotional booklets and holy cards printed in 1666.

An elegant Academy Square was created in front of the church with a statue of the Virgin Mary atop a tall column, designed by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor.

The church was elevated and newly vaulted, and galleries (empora) were added above the side chapels.

This provided additional space, allowing students to follow the liturgy from the northern galleries, and Ljubljana’s nobility from the southern ones.

The construction was overseen by architect Francesco Ferrata, while the stonework was carried out by Luka Mislej.

Mislej is also the author of the new main portal, through which we still enter the church today.

The vaults were decorated with stucco, and the work was led by Tommas Ferrata.

Painters Johann Georg Remb and his son Franz Karl Remb painted frescoes on the vaults, which have not survived.

The church was furnished with new stone altars, which still stand today. With ten imposing Baroque marble altars, St. James’s is considered the richest church in Ljubljana in both quantity and artistic quality.
The altars feature sculptures by prominent Venetian artists:
Jacopo Contieri, Paolo Groppelli, Francesco Robba, Franz Rotman, Angelo Putti and his brother, and Matthias Hendrickhs.
Construction was led by local stonemasons Luka Mislej (primipil) and Franc Grumnik (documentar).

Under pressure from the rulers of Portugal, Spain, and France, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuit Order. The property of the Jesuit college in Ljubljana was entrusted to the state religious fund.

A large fire broke out across the river in Krakovo, started by a woman grilling fish. It spread across the Ljubljanica and devastated the entire St. James district, destroying 66 houses and all three churches:

• Church of St. James

• Church of St. Florian

• Church of St. Rosalia
  as well as the Jesuit college, school, and seminary.
  637 books from the Jesuit library were saved and given by Empress Maria Theresa to the Ljubljana lyceum for public use. These volumes formed the first collection of what is today the National and University Library of Slovenia (NUK).

The fire-damaged church was given a new roof, but most of the college buildings were demolished. The church was cared for by former Jesuits and two sacristans who lived nearby.

A new city parish was established at the church, and the first parish priest was appointed.

The church underwent major renovation work.

Painter Janez Wolf created a new altar fresco, still visible behind Robba’s high altar.

He painted it in the tradition of Baroque illusionist art, inspired by Pozzo’s altar of St. Ignatius in Il Gesù, Rome.

The church was thoroughly renovated both inside and out. During the renovation, painter Jurij Šubic painted four ceiling panels in the nave depicting scenes from the life of St. James, which can still be seen today.

On Easter, Ljubljana was struck by a powerful earthquake. The bell towers of St. James’s Church were so severely damaged that they had to be demolished down to the church roof. A new bell tower was built in 1897 (architect Raimund Jeblinger).

St. James’s Church once again came under the administration of the Jesuits.

The Restoration Center of Slovenia began the renovation of the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier. The restoration is still ongoing.

In April, the Restoration Center of Slovenia completed the restoration of Matevž Langus’s altarpiece Assumption of Mary (1822) from the aforementioned chapel on the northern side of the church.

In June, the Restoration Center of Slovenia completed the restoration of Paul Künl’s altarpiece St. Francis Xavier from the chapel of the same name on the northern side of the church. Since the chapel had not yet been restored, the painting was temporarily returned to the presbytery.

• In October, experts from the Restoration Center of Slovenia restored the small tower above the dome of the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier.
• The Jesuit community at St. James’s in Ljubljana consisted of five members. The parish priest was Fr. Jože Kokalj.
• In November (on the 16th and 29th), the parish celebrated the 400th anniversary of the church’s consecration.

On the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Archbishop Msgr. Stanislav Zore blessed the restored chapel of St. Francis Xavier in the Church of St. James in Ljubljana.

The renovation, which had been underway since 2006 under the leadership of the Restoration Center of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS), was financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Parish of St. James, Ljubljana.